At a Glance

The brawny, dynamo of a city described by Carl Sandburg in his famous poem, “Chicago,” has shed its grit but not its frenetic rush. Discover Chicago’s glittering skyscrapers, fine dining, revitalized lakefront, urbane cultural scene, celebrated museums and the tony Magnificent Mile on an exceptional adventure that draws back the curtain on Chicagoans and “their kind of town.”

Activity Level

Moderate

Walking up to one mile per day.

Best of all, you'll ...

Examine Chicago’s growth on a professor-led field trip through the city’s diverse neighborhoods.

Experience the city’s new waterfront parks and visit the renovated Chicago History Museum.

Enjoy expert-led visits to the Field Museum of Natural History and the renowned Art Institute of Chicago.

General Notes

You may enjoy a more active, small group program #21908.

Featured Expert

All Experts

Arlene Shafton

Arlene Shafton enjoyed a multifaceted career path that led her from classrooms to communication. As an educator, Arlene taught first and second grade classes in the Chicago Public Schools and the Francis W. Parker School. She later served as the director of the Jewish Community Centers of Chicago Citywide Adult Services, and with a group of volunteers helped to found the Florence G. Heller Jewish Community Center in 1976. Now retired, Arlene coordinates a peer-driven course at Northwestern University's Osher Lifelong Learning Institute. She enjoys sharing the breadth of Chicago's beauty, diversity, industry and culture with Road Scholar participants.

Marshall Jacobson

Susan Diamond

Sue Johnson

Andrea Maremont

Lonnie Stoller

Dick Johnson

Nancy Liberman

Mary Fran Bubak

Arlene Shafton

Zbigniew Banas

Suggested Reading List

View 15 books

Chicago Days: 150 Defining Moments in the Life of a Great City

by Chicago Tribune

Journey back through time to relive events that shaped the Chicago metropolitan area and contributed to its world-class reputation. Chicago Days is a collection of 150 essays and 500 dramatic photographs compiled from the voluminous files of the Chicago Tribune, the Chicago Historical Society, and other important collections.

Chicago: A Brief History

by Vook

"Chicago: A Brief History" presents a comprehensive look at the city’s transformation from a fur trade outpost to America’s Second City. This compact digital compendium helps you track the diverse forces that shaped the city as we know it. You’ll explore the exciting history behind the city’s cultural, economic, and architectural mainstays.
You’ll also gain valuable insight into groundbreaking Chicago events and major figures down through history, including:
The Birth of a Major Trade City
The Great Fire of 1871
Construction of the Sears Tower
Chicago’s “Public Enemies”
The University of Chicago
...and more.

Chicago Then and Now

by Elizabeth McNulty

The latest installment in the popular Then and Now series showcases the capital of the Heartland and one of the premier cities in the nation and the world: Chicago. Chicago's change and growth over the last century is captured in this photographic history. Modern color photos sit side by side with black and white archival photographs. Every important building, avenue, neighborhood, and point of interest is documented. It covers all of Chicago's landmarks from Navy Pier to the Stockyards and from the Southside all the way up the Magnificent Mile. Take in a game at Wrigley Field, then take it all in from the top of the Sear's Tower. The Water Tower and all the other architectural features that make Chicago great are also included.

Capone: The Life and World of Al Capone

by John Kobler

The public called him Scarface; the FBI called him Public Enemy Number One; his associates called him Snorky. But Capone is the name most remember. And John Kobler’s Capone is the definitive biography of this most brutal and flamboyant of the underground kings—an intimate and dramatic book that presents a complete view of Al Capone and his gaudy era. Here is Capone’s story: his violent childhood in Brooklyn, his lieutenancy to Johnny Torrio, his rise in the ranks of the underworld, the notorious St. Valentine Massacre, his eventual control of the entire city of Chicago, and his decline during his imprisonment in Alcatraz. Capone was the ultimate gangster, and Capone is the ultimate in gangster biographies—a classic in the literature of crime.

The Chicago River: A Natural and Unnatural History

by Libby Hill

An Intimate Biography of the Heroic Creek that Chicago Made
When French explorers Jolliet and Marquette used the Chicago portage to access the Mississippi River system, the Chicago River was but a humble, even sluggish, stream in the right place at the right time. That's the story of the making of Chicago. This is the other story--the story of the making and perpetual re-making of a river by everything from pre-glacial forces to the interventions of an emerging and mighty city.

Chicago Blues: The City & the Music

by Mike Rowe

Chicago has always had a reputation as a ”wide open town” with a high tolerance for gangsters, illegal liquor, and crooked politicians. It has also been the home for countless black musicians and the birthplace of a distinctly urban blues—more sophisticated, cynical, and street-smart than the anguished songs of the Mississippi delta—a music called the Chicago blues. This is the history of that music and the dozens of black artists who congregated on the South and Near West Sides. Muddy Waters, Big Bill Broonzy, Howlin’ Wolf, Elmore James, Tampa Red, Little Walter, Jimmy Reed, Otis Rush, Sonny Boy Williamson, Junior Wells, Eddie Taylor—all of these giants played throughout the city and created a musical style that had imitators and influence all over the world.

Death at the Fair

by Frances McNamara

The 1893 World's Columbian Exposition provides a vibrant backdrop for this exciting new mystery. Emily Cabot is one of the first women graduate students at the University of Chicago, eager to prove herself in the new field of sociology. While she is busy exploring the Exposition with her family and friends, her colleague, Dr. Stephen Chapman, is accused of murder. Emily sets out to search for the truth behind the crime, but is thwarted by the thieves, corrupt politicians, and gamblers who are ever-present in Chicago. A lynching that occurred in the dead man's past leads Emily to seek the assistance of the black activist Ida B. Wells. Rich with historical details that bring turn-of-the-century Chicago to life, this novel will appeal equally to history buffs and mystery fans.

A Farewell to Arms

by Ernest Hemingway

Written when Ernest Hemingway was thirty years old and lauded as the best American novel to emerge from World War I, A Farewell to Arms is the unforgettable story of an American ambulance driver on the Italian front and his passion for a beautiful English nurse. Set against the looming horrors of the battlefieldweary, demoralized men marching in the rain during the German attack on Caporetto; the profound struggle between loyalty and desertionthis gripping, semi autobiographical work captures the harsh realities of war and the pain of lovers caught in its inexorable sweep.
Ernest Hemingway famously said that he rewrote the ending to A Farewell to Arms thirty-nine times to get the words right. This edition collects all of the alternative endings together for the first time, along with early drafts of other essential passages, offering new insight into Hemingways craft and creative process and the evolution of one of the greatest novels of the twentieth century. Featuring Hemingways own 1948 introduction to an illustrated reissue of the novel, a personal foreword by the authors son Patrick Hemingway, and a new introduction by the authors grandson Sen Hemingway, this edition of A Farewell to Arms is truly a celebration.

Boss: Richard J. Daley of Chicago

by Mike Royko

This is the story of the late Richard J. Daley, politician and self-promoter extraordinaire, from his inauspicious youth on Chicago’s South Side through his rapid climb to the seat of power as mayor and boss of the Democratic Party machine. A bare-all account of Daley’s cardinal sins as well as his milestone achievements, this scathing work by Chicago journalist Mike Royko brings to life the most powerful political figure of his time: his laissez-faire policy toward corruption, his unique brand of public relations, and the widespread influence that earned him the epithet of “king maker.” The politician, the machine, the city—Royko reveals all with witty insight and unwavering honesty, in this incredible portrait of the last of the backroom Caesars. This new edition includes an Introduction in which the author reflects on Daley’s death and the future of Chicago.

Lost Chicago

by David Garrard Lowe

The City of Big Shoulders has always been our most quintessentially American—and world-class—architectural metropolis. In the wake of the Great Fire of 1871, a great building boom—still the largest in the history of the nation—introduced the first modern skyscrapers to the Chicago skyline and began what would become a legacy of diverse, influential, and iconoclastic contributions to the city’s built environment. Though this trend continued well into the twentieth century, sour city finances and unnecessary acts of demolishment left many previous cultural attractions abandoned and then destroyed.
Lost Chicago explores the architectural and cultural history of this great American city, a city whose architectural heritage was recklessly squandered during the second half of the twentieth century. David Garrard Lowe’s crisp, lively prose and over 270 rare photographs and prints, illuminate the decades when Gustavus Swift and Philip D. Armour ruled the greatest stockyards in the world; when industrialists and entrepreneurs such as Cyrus McCormick, Potter Palmer, George Pullman, and Marshall Field made Prairie Avenue and State Street the rivals of New York City’s Fifth Avenue; and when Louis Sullivan, Daniel Burnham, and Frank Lloyd Wright were designing buildings of incomparable excellence. Here are the mansions and grand hotels, the office buildings that met technical perfection (including the first skyscraper), and the stores, trains, movie palaces, parks, and racetracks that thrilled residents and tourists alike before falling victim to the wrecking ball of progress.

The Devil in the White City: Murder, Magic and Madness at the Fair that Changed America

by Erik Larson

Erik Larson intertwines the true tale of the 1893 World's Fair and the cunning serial killer who used the fair to lure his victims to their death. Combining meticulous research with nail-biting storytelling, Erik Larson has crafted a narrative with all the wonder of newly discovered history and the thrills of the best fiction.

Loving Frank

by Nancy Horan

I have been standing on the side of life, watching it float by. I want to swim in the river. I want to feel the current.
So writes Mamah Borthwick Cheney in her diary as she struggles to justify her clandestine love affair with Frank Lloyd Wright. Four years earlier, in 1903, Mamah and her husband, Edwin, had commissioned the renowned architect to design a new home for them. During the construction of the house, a powerful attraction developed between Mamah and Frank, and in time the lovers, each married with children, embarked on a course that would shock Chicago society and forever change their lives.
In this ambitious debut novel, fact and fiction blend together brilliantly. While scholars have largely relegated Mamah to a footnote in the life of America’s greatest architect, author Nancy Horan gives full weight to their dramatic love story and illuminates Cheney’s profound influence on Wright.
Drawing on years of research, Horan weaves little-known facts into a compelling narrative, vividly portraying the conflicts and struggles of a woman forced to choose between the roles of mother, wife, lover, and intellectual. Horan’s Mamah is a woman seeking to find her own place, her own creative calling in the world. Mamah’s is an unforgettable journey marked by choices that reshape her notions of love and responsibility, leading inexorably ultimately lead to this novel’s stunning conclusion.

Return to the Scene of the Crime: A Guide to Infamous Places in Chicago

by Richard Lindberg

This is an uncensored neighborhood-by-neighborhood map to the back alleys and boulevards of Chicago where some of the most infamous events of the city's criminal past occurred. Capone, Dillinger, and other organized crime figures have left an indelible imprint on the Windy City.

Presumed Innocent

by Scott Turow

Hailed as the most suspenseful and compelling novel in decades, PRESUMED INNOCENT brings to life our worst nightmare: that of an ordinary citizen facing conviction for the most terrible of all crimes. It's the stunning portrayal of one man's all-too-human, all-consuming fatal attraction for a passionate woman who is not his wife, and the story of how his obsession puts everything he loves and values on trial--including his own life. It's a book that lays bare a shocking world of betrayal and murder, as well as the hidden depths of the human heart. And it will hold you and haunt you...long after you have reached its shattering conclusion.
Biography
Scott Turow was born in Chicago in 1949. He graduated with high honors from Amherst College in 1970, receiving a fellowship to Stanford University Creative Writing Center which he attended from 1970 to 1972. From 1972 to 1975 Turow taught creative writing at Stanford. In 1975, he entered Harvard Law School, graduating with honors in 1978. From 1978 to 1986, he was an Assistant United States Attorney in Chicago, serving as lead prosecutor in several high-visibility federal trials investigating corruption in the Illinois judiciary. In 1995, in a major pro bono legal effort he won a reversal in the murder conviction of a man who had spent 11 years in prison, many of them on death row, for a crime another man confessed to.
Today, Scott Turow is a partner in the Chicago office of Sonnenschein, Nath & Rosenthal an international law firm, where his practice centers on white-collar criminal litigation and involves representation of individuals and companies in all phases of criminal matters. Turow lives outside Chicago

The Old Man & The Sea

by Ernest Hemingway

It is the story of an epic struggle between an old, seasoned fisherman and the greatest catch of his life. For eighty-four days, Santiago, an aged Cuban fisherman, has set out to sea and returned empty-handed. So conspicuously unlucky is he that the parents of his young devoted apprentice and friend, manolin, have forced the boy to leave the old man in order to fish in a more prosperous boat. nevertheless, the boy continues to care for the old man upon his return each night. He helps the old man tote his gear to his ramshackle hut, secures food for him, and discusses the latest developments in American baseball, especially the trials of the old man's hero, Joe Dimaggio. Santiago is confident that his unproductive streak will soon come to an end, and he resolves to sail out farther than usual the following day.

Afternoon: Hotel Check-in: Available from 3:00 p.m. Program Registration: After you have your room assignment, come over to the Road Scholar desk in the lobby and pick up your arrival packet containing your name-tag, up-to-date schedule we will review during Orientation, and to confirm the time and location of the Orientation session. If you arrive late, please ask for your packet at the front desk when you check in.

Dinner: We will have dinner out at a neighborhood restaurant within walking distance of the hotel.

Evening: Orientation: The Group Leader will greet you with a warm welcome and introduce everyone. We will review the up-to-date daily program schedule and any changes, discuss responsibilities, safety guidelines, emergency procedures, and answer any questions you may have. During free time, the Group Leader will often be available to guide informal excursions, activities, or meals not included in the program. You are welcome to join if you wish, with any associated costs (if any) on your own, or explore independently. Please be aware that program activities and scheduled times could change due to local circumstances. In the event of changes, we will alert you as quickly as possible. Thank you for your understanding. The remainder of the evening is free to continue getting to know your fellow participants. Settle in to your room and get a good night’s sleep for the full day tomorrow.

DAY

2

City Field Trip by Motor Coach / Free Evening

Chicago, Illinois

B,L

Club Quarters Hotel, Wacker at Michigan

Breakfast: Corner Bakery located at 360 N. Michigan Avenue. 0.11 miles from the hotel.

Morning: Mark Twain wrote in 1883, “It is hopeless for the occasional visitor to try to keep up with Chicago. She outgrows his prophecies faster than he can make them.” Led by an expert, we will have a motorcoach exploration to learn about Chicago history, the immigrants and neighborhoods who gave it a rich culture and texture, and the movers and shakers whose influence made it a world-class city. We begin our journey north along Michigan Avenue to Lake Shore Drive and up to Wrigley Field, home of the Chicago Cubs. As time and traffic allow, we will stop at various locations along the way.

Afternoon: Continuing our motorcoach introduction to the city, we ride through Chinatown and down past U.S. Cellular Field (formerly Comiskey Park), home of the Chicago White Sox, to the Hyde Park neighborhood, home of the University of Chicago and longtime personal residence of President Obama. We continue to Planetarium Point and conclude in the city’s “front yard” -- Grant Park -- at the fabulous Buckingham Fountain inspired by Versailles.

Dinner: This meal has been excluded from the program cost and is on your own to enjoy the foods of your choice. The Group Leader will be happy to offer suggestions and give directions. You may also join the Group Leader for dinner at your own cost if you like. Please see attachment to preparatory materials for a full list of area restaurants.

Evening: At leisure. Take this opportunity for personal independent exploration to see and do what interests you most. Please refer to the list of Free Time Opportunities in the Information Packet. The Group Leader will be happy to offer suggestions, give directions, and will also lead an informal excursion or activity you are welcome to join at your cost (if any).

DAY

3

Chicago History Museum/ Art Institute /Lecture

Chicago, Illinois

B,L,D

Club Quarters Hotel, Wacker at Michigan

Breakfast: at Corner Bakery

Morning: This morning, before heading out, we will have an expert-led lecture based on the 1893 Columbian World Exposition, its impact on Chicago and the United States. After the lecture we will head out for a deeper understanding of the rich history of this city. We will take the bus for an expert-led field trip to the Chicago History Museum. This institution houses 22 million historical artifacts and documents from Chicago and U.S. history, with an emphasis on five main areas: Living, Working and Governing in the Metropolitan Area, the Built Environment, and Individuals and Ideas. Gain a better understanding of Chicago’s past, its present, and prospects for the future.

Lunch: You will have the opportunity to enjoy lunch at the Art Institute in a private room.

Afternoon: After lunch we will have an expert-led exploration of the world-famous Art Institute of Chicago where you will hone your knowledge of and appreciation for art. Highlights of the permanent collection -- comprising more than 300,000 works in different media -- include “American Gothic,” the famed Chagall Windows and the Thorne Miniature Rooms. Led by art educator Joe Cunniff, we will have an introduction to key galleries, followed by free time to explore in greater depth on your own.

Dinner: At a local restaurant within walking distance of the hotel.

DAY

4

Chicago Power Brokers/Field Museum of Natural History

Chicago, Illinois

B,L

Club Quarters Hotel, Wacker at Michigan

Breakfast: at Corner Bakery.

Morning: This morning at the hotel, we are joined by Professor Zbigniew Banas to learn about Chicago's power brokers, past and present, whose influence has made the city what it is today. Professor Banas will also discuss the notorious, flamboyant political history of “the windy city” (so called, legend says, for loud, long-winded politicians and the many conventions hosted here). After the lecture we will board our bus to begin a day at the world-class Field Museum of Natural History. It originated in 1893 as the Columbian Museum of Chicago. The name was later changed to honor the generosity of benefactor Marshall Field and to better reflect a focus on the natural sciences. During an expert-led exploration, learn about the museum’s work and collections.

Lunch: We will have our midday meal at the Field Museum.

Afternoon: Continue your exploration of this iconic Chicago museum, with free time to delve into exhibits that interest you. Among its collections, you can learn about gems, dinosaurs, mummies, Africa, the Pacific, the Ancient Americas, Pawnee Indians, and much more. The lakefront campus is also home to the Adler Planetarium and the Shedd Aquarium, together regarded as among the finest of their kind in the world. Bus will depart the Field Museum at 1pm. You are welcome to stay and continue exploring or you may return to the hotel for an afternoon and evening on your own. If you choose to remain at the museum, you will need to find transportation back to the hotel, at your expense.

Dinner: This meal has been excluded from the program cost and is on your own to enjoy the foods of your choice. The Group Leader will be happy to offer suggestions and give directions. You may also join the Group Leader for dinner at your own cost if you like..

Evening: Take this opportunity for personal independent exploration to see and do what interests you most. Please refer to the list of Free Time Opportunities in the Information Packet. The Group Leader will be happy to offer suggestions, give directions, and will also lead an informal excursion or activity you are welcome to join at your cost (if any).

DAY

5

Federal Reserve/ Willis Tower/ Architectural Study Cruise

Chicago, Illinois

B,L,D

Club Quarters Hotel, Wacker at Michigan

Breakfast: at Corner Bakery.

Morning: Aboard a bus we head to the Federal Reserve Bank, where you will gain a deeper understanding of its functions, responsibilities and operations during an expert-led exploration. The Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago is one of 12 regional Reserve Banks across the country that, with the Board of Governors in Washington, D.C., serve as the central bank for the U.S. The landmark building has a rich architectural history. We will continue to the Willis Tower (formerly Sears Tower), tallest building in the western hemisphere at 1,450 feet (443 meters) high -- 1,730 feet (520 meters) including the twin antenna towers. A film about the building’s construction and history sets the stage for ascending to the Sky deck on the 103rd floor, highest observation deck in the U.S., where you can step onto a glass box balcony that extends four feet outside!

Lunch: At a restaurant within walking distance to the river cruise boat dock.

Afternoon: None other than Frank Lloyd Wright said, “It [modern architecture] all started here…" Our study cruise this afternoon presents more of Chicago’s extraordinary architecture and related social history. By necessity due to geographical limitations, Chicago’s business leaders had to look upwards to expand after the devastating Great Chicago Fire of 1871. Within less than a decade, new building techniques pushed the city’s skyline ever higher. Some of the world’s greatest architects, supported by visionary business leaders, built not just higher but sleeker and more sophisticated. And it was not only skyscrapers that forged a unique identity. Debris from the great fire created the base of Grant Park. The Merchandise Mart -- once the epicenter of high design and luxury goods, owned for half a century by the Kennedy family -- is the world’s largest commercial building. Chicago also has more moveable bridges than any city in the world including an engineering wonder, the Michigan Avenue Bridge, one of the city’s foremost thoroughfares. Learn about all this and much more during this cruise with expert commentary.

Dinner: Enjoy a tasty farewell dinner at a neighborhood restaurant located in the John Hancock Center.

DAY

6

Program Concludes After Breakfast

Chicago, Illinois

B

Breakfast: at Corner Bakery.

Morning: We hope you enjoy Road Scholar learning adventures and look forward to having you on rewarding programs in the future. Please be in touch via the Road Scholar Social Network, where you can share memories, pictures, and comments. Best wishes for all your journeys!

Meals

12 Meals

5 Breakfasts

4 Lunches

3 Dinners

The following choices may be available when requested in advance: Gluten Free, Vegetarian

Lodging

Lodgings may differ by date. Select a date to see the lodgings specific to that date.

Club Quarters, Wacker at Michigan is a private, full service hotel in the center of downtown Chicago and located on the Chicago River. This landmark tower, built in 1928, has been fully restored to its historic grandeur and offers spectacular views of the skyline, including floodlit landmarks. Luxury shopping along the Magnificent Mile is just 1 block away. Grant Park is 10 minutes' walk and Navy Pier is 1 mile away.

This trip exceeded our expectations. I have been on ten previous Road Scholar journeys and this one had the best hosts (Clive and Judy) and the best presenters (especially Joe Cunniff) of any, although all journeys have been excellent with Road Scholar. All of the participants were always on time and congenial with everyone else which made this experience even a better one. It changed my opinion of Chicago of "so-so" to one of enthusiasm!
Even my daughter and son-in-law who have lived in a suburb of Chicago for over 20 years remarked this one had the best itinerary they had ever seen. The hotel could not have been better situated. Definitely a five star trip!!!

This was my first Road Scholar experience and it was wonderful. The group leaders were fantastic and the lectures were informative, educational and extremely interesting. The sites on our excursions were well planned and I enjoyed each and every one of them. The price was very reasonable for when we got. I would highly recommend traveling with Road Scholar!! They're the BEST!

There is a reason this is listed in the catalog as "Most Popular". We had a wonderful time! We were surprised to discover that every person we met who lives in Chicago is genuinely proud of their city. When they found out we were visitors, they would say, "Welcome to MY city!"

Chicago has now become my favorite big city. This program provided a lot of information and gave great historical information on how it developed. Skyscrapers were fascinating how the old and new interfaced and our location could not have been better!

We visited numerous Chicago sites that provided exciting and timely exhibits. The group leader, lecturers and docents were knowledgeable people genuinely interested in communicating their knowledge to us.
An exciting introduction to a great city!

The Signature City Chicago Road Scholar trip is an outstanding one! Not only do you visit many amazing places in the city, but you learn lots of interesting history facts about this beautiful city! Put it on your list of "future travels."

If you crave exceptional information, tours, and lectures, Road Scholar is an excellent experience. The time is sufficient to feel like you have gained a complete overview of a city, and there is free time to get your individual free space. The quality is outstanding!!

Very informative. Great city tour and overview of Chicago's history. We were taken to all the places that would have been on my list of things to do. Extra time for the Field Museum and the Art Institute (which would actually take a couple of days to cover thoroughly).

Great trip. We left Chicago with a better appreciation of this remarkable city that is so physically attractive, with the lake, the river and river walk and its numerous parks. The museums we visited were remarkable in their content and size. And the food was very good!

Our three guides' enthusiasm for this great city was infectious. The hotel is ideally located. We were able to take in the city and its highlights with knowledgable and funny guides. Great food, music, and theater are also near the hotel.

Just returned from Signature City: Chicago Your Kind of Town. It is a great introduction to the city with lectures that stimulate the mind and interesting cultural experiences including the Field Museum and the Art Institute. There is some free time for adventuring out on your own. The reading list had some good books for background info that really added to the on site experience.